Destination Moab: What Mountains Are Those?

During our Tour d’Arches NP on Wednesday, we kept seeing these beautiful snow-capped mountains off in the distance.  In and out of the clouds, they appeared to be experiencing some weather. 

One, in particular, captivated me.  It didn’t look like the tallest but seemed to be a perfect pyramid mountain shape.  After we left the park, I inquired to JMac, “I wonder what those mountains are?”  The rest of the conversation went like this…

What I heard:

Me:  I wonder what those mountains are?

JMac:  South.

Me:  They’re not south.  They’re east.

JMac:  South.

Me:  That’s not south.  The sun is setting over there (me pointing west) which makes over there (me pointing towards the mountains) east.  Maybe southeast but not south.

JMac:  South.

Me:  What?

JMac:  La Sal.

Me:  La Sal?

JMac:  Yes.  La Sal.  They are the La Sal Mountains.

Me:  Oh.  La Sal.  How did you know that?

JMac:  Who do you think you’re talking to?

Me:  True.

How the conversation actually went, according to JMac:

Me:  I wonder what those mountains are?

JMac:  La Sal.

Me:  They’re not south.  They’re east.

JMac:  La Sal.

Me:  That’s not south.  The sun is setting over there (me pointing west) which makes over there (me pointing towards the mountains) east.  Maybe southeast but not south.

JMac:  La Sal.

Me:  What?

JMac:  La Sal.

Me:  La Sal?

JMac:  Yes.  La Sal.  They are the La Sal Mountains.

Me:  Oh.  La Sal.  How did you know that?

JMac:  Who do you think you’re talking to?

Me:  True.

And to think we’re just hitting our forties now. 


Destination Moab: Moab!

My parents had suggested that we exit I-70 at Route 128 in order to take the scenic drive along the Colorado River into Moab.  This was a fantastic idea…as JMac said, “Good thinking, Jimbo.”  The scenery did not disappoint.  With no particular schedule to meet, a rarity for the both of us, we took time to pull off and take some pictures, winding our way through the open country.  We drove up to the stunning Fisher Towers, another beautiful landmark and took some more pictures there as well.

We eventually made it to Moab and checked in at the Up the Creek Campground, a small, tent only campground about a half block off the main drag on the south side of town.  We have a nice site backed up against a creek that winds through town.  It’s actually quite lovely.  Quiet.  Clean.  With running water and hot showers.  It is also significantly cheaper than all of the other lodging I saw in town, including the Air BnB stays.  Dinner found us at the Moab Brewery.  They have an entire section of their menu dedicated to #plantpowered entrees so I had no trouble finding something substantive to eat.  I have now read three articles on Utah’s liquor laws but still have no real understanding of how they work.  At the brewery, if you order one of their beers on draft, it’s 3.2% ABV.  But you can also order the same beer in a can, drink it in the restaurant and it will be “full test” or somewhere in the 6-7% range.  Weird.

I found town to be a lot more busy than I was anticipating.  I realize that it’s a tourist destination but I was under the impression it was a more quiet, artsy community.  Not so, my friends.  It’s artsy but with offroad vehicles driving through town and people everywhere.  Something like Gatlinburg meets Jackson, WY?

Breakfast on Wednesday was at the aptly named Eklectica Café.  With a wide range of options (they will do a tofu sub for all egg dishes and also have GF bread and pastry), JMac and I both had a hearty meal.  Our plan for the day was laundry, return some messages knowing we would be without cell access after today, check out Arches National Park and then repack our gear for four days in the backcountry.

Laundry?  Washed, dried and folded.  Messages returned?  Done.  So then we were off to Arches.  If you have seen any pictures from there, you know that the scenery is quite stunning.  Large sandstone walls.  Stone towers.  And of course, these amazing geological works of art, the arches.  But, I have to say, it’s pretty much near impossible to avoid the crowds.  The NPS map flat out states that there is no real “backcountry” at Arches to speak of.  They suggest checking out Canyonlands for a backcountry experience.  I had been hoping to hike out to several of the arches under the theory I have found to be true at most parks, get more than a mile from a parking lot and the crowds thin immensely.  But most of the roads go within a mile of the destination arch, with a wonderfully accessible walking trail to get you the rest of the way.  The park service requests that visitors stay off the land not labelled as trail as human impact will damage the surrounding vegetation. 

I get it.  But I guess I just generally prefer a more solitary experience.  So. 

The hike up to Delicate Arch was well worth the effort.  We had perfect temperatures probably in the low 70s with white puffy clouds in the sky.  Although we could see dark clouds around many of the areas, they never moved in on us.

For dinner, we tried Fiesta Mexicana.  Both food and margaritas were very tasty.  With everything else accomplished for the day, that left us with rearranging our camping gear to get ready for our backpack excursion Thursday – Sunday.  I’m happy with my clothing selections but am pretty sure I’m over packed on food.  But a hungry Marsita is an angry Marsita and we don’t want that.  So I guess it’s all coming with us. 


Destination Moab: Part Trois

Tuesday?  Yes, Tuesday.  With leaving on a Sunday, our days have been all screwed up.  We had breakfast of coffee and housemade granola at the Aspen Coffee Club in Fruita before coming back to the cottage and saddling up for the day.  We had decided the night before to check out the Kokopelli trails outside of Loma.  Those are classic Fruita trails, a little more technical than what we were on the day before but from everything we had read, a ton of fun.  Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperating.  Radar showed rain all over that area.  So we decided on our second choice, the Western Rim trail, which according to the local “ride guide” was listed as being in the Palisade area.  Palisade is east of Grand Junction and well out of the way of where it appeared the rain was going.  Well, after getting on I-70 for a few miles in an easterly direction, JMac realized that Western Rim is not, in fact, near Palisade but back near our original destination and in the rain.  Why it was listed in the Palisade area of the ride guide we’ll never know.  So I turned around and headed west.  Maybe it would be like yesterday and the rain would just circle around us.

We got off the highway at the exit for the Western Rim trail.  Rain.  Cold rain.  Bleh.  We pulled into a parking lot, shortly after a brief adventure where JMac decided to try driving down a dirt road clearly labelled as requiring a “high clearance vehicle.”  Yes, it’s a rental, Dear, but we still have to pay for it if we bring it back without all of its pieces attached.  <Sigh.>  After quietly listening to the sound of our prepaid MTB rental go down the drain, we decided to head back towards Fruita, return the bikes and get a jump on our day in Moab.  It didn’t appear to be raining there.  But lo and behold, once we were on the highway, the sky cleared up some.  We had to drive right past the exit for the Kokopelli trail so we jumped off to check it out.  Cloudy, dark in the distance but no rain.  More importantly, the trails appeared to be dry.  Dire signs put up by the local trail community warned us to not ride on wet trails.

We unpacked the bikes and headed up Rustlers Loop.  After a shortish rocky climb which had me maxed out on my 1x, we arrived at the top of a plateau and the start of a very fun loop of riding. 

More rocky than the trails the day before, it was a mix of slick rock, gravel, sand and hard-packed dirt.  There were enough bench steps and drop offs to keep it interesting but nothing too scary.  The scenery was everything you could imagine with the Colorado River in one direction, the red walls of Colorado Monument behind it, open sky in another and curving sandstone (?, I’m not a geologist, people!) walls in another. 

We could see why this trail was often listed as a great introduction to the area.  The trail ended on a super fun downhill all too quickly.  We took a look at the sky, dark clouds were heading our way and decided to try another loop that wasn’t too time-committing should the weather change on us.  Up we went on another rocky trail to Mary’s Loop.  This was mostly double track with some fun twists and drops to keep it real.  We made it over to the cut off for the much described harrowing descent to Horsethief Bench trail.  Uh, yeah.  MTB Project suggests cheering and clapping if you happen to be on the trail when someone attempts it.  We didn’t see anyone attempt it but JMac did find some fresh blood about a third of the way down.  Unfortunately, the dark skies were moving in more quickly now and while we really wanted to do the classic Horsethief and Steve’s trails, we also knew we didn’t want caught in bad weather with a committing ride back to the car.  So we opted to finish on Mary’s to Rustlers, enjoying my most gnarly descent to date for sure.  Back at the car we opted for another quick run of Rustlers.  Just as we finished the loop, the rain came.  Too short but it gave us a great taste of the area.  We’ll be back. 


It was nice being able to test the Juliana on some more technical terrain.  I was definitely able to get over some ledges that I wouldn’t normally do at home.  Was it the bike or just that I had more confidence on this bike?  I don’t know but it definitely has me continuing to ponder an upgrade.  I also was able to test the dropper post.  I don’t know how useful it would be for Ohio cross country riding but I could appreciate it for some more serious sketchy downhill riding.  JMac seemed to enjoy the Mach 6, even inquiring at Over the Edge for it’s now retail price.  They apply the cost of your rental plus depreciation for previous demo’s if you want to buy the bike you rode.  Unfortunately, if JMac bought a new bike that would immediately take his riding up a notch, which would then necessitate me definitely needing a new bike to try to get my game back up.  Since we haven’t won the lottery recently, I don’t see two new bikes in our futures.  #buzzkill

We made a brief stop at Gears in Fruita for a green smoothie, very tasty, and jumped on I-70, destination Moab!


Destination Moab, Part Deux

Well, with about fifteen hours of sleep under my belt, Monday morning dawned quite early.  I picked up coffee for two at the local coffee shop...I love being in a destination where you can walk everywhere...and patiently waited (not) for JMac to rouse.  After breakfast at the local diner (Camilla's Café), we moseyed over to Over the Edge Sports to pick up our bike rentals.  We had looked into shipping our bikes but with most likely only having three days to ride (we also had hiking and backpacking on the agenda), it seemed like it would just be easier and cheaper to rent.  And so we did.  Jmac got a Pivot Mach 6 and I, a Juliana Furtado.  Both have 27.5" wheels, which we wanted to check out since we're still rocking it old school with 26" wheels at home.  I also wanted to check out a 1x set up, which may not have been the smartest decision out here when I would be at elevation, in the mountains, which my Ohio legs and lungs were most definitely not used to.  Bikes sized and ready to go, we rode back to the AirBnB and loaded up for the day.

Ride #1 was on the 18 Road Trails, just a short drive north of Fruita.  We could have actually ridden to the trails as the roads out there are pretty quiet.  Immediately in the parking lot we noticed that we did not get the memo that the in fashion for Fruita riding appears to be baggies and not our spandex kits.  If our sparkling rental bikes didn't give us away as out of towners, our apparel certainly did.  Oh well. 

After doing a few laps around the parking lot to try to figure out my SRAM shifting, I'm a Shimano girl in my Ohio life, we departed on Vegetarian trail, labelled as intermediate.  Mostly flowing, swoopy fun, it was a great introduction to the area.  Fruita had seen more than it's normal share of rain recently and while the trails were dry, there were beautiful spring wildflowers and colorful grasses that we passed by.  From Vegetarian, we turned on Chutes and Ladders, another fun intermediate route and then ended up on Edge Loop.  I was surprised that these trails were labelled intermediate.   I think that by Ohio standards they would be closer to beginner...they were mostly smooth with little in the way of obstacles or other things to hurt yourself on.  After a quick refuel at the car, JMac asked if I was ready for the second loop he had mapped out, which was more intermediate but with a couple of miles of difficult thrown in.  I shrugged.  Sure. 

We left on Zippity to the beginner Zip Off to the intermediate Western Zippity and then Frontside.  Although we started to get a few more tight turns on these trails and little more exposure, they were very fun.  And we still had very little in the way of rocks and other hard, sharp objects which would hurt when fallen upon.  The final main trail of the loop was Zippity Do Da, a little more than two miles of difficult.  And that's when we went from "easy" intermediate to gnarly ledgy, rocky, uphill riding.  What?!?  We hike a biked to the ridge but were then treated to some fast rollers on a ridgeline, something I don't think I have experienced before. Point the bike where you want to go, Marsita.  Do not look over there at the pretty mountains in the distance, that's where your bike will go and you don't want to fall off the side of this trail.  So it was a bit intense but exciting to be riding something new.  We ended up taking a short cut on the road to skirt around the final section of ZDD and finished up on Zippity.  Back at the car, we were now surrounded on three sides by rain clouds.  Rain had been moving in and moving out the whole time we had been riding but it had stuck to being north, south and west of us.  With a final glance at the clouds, meh, it looks like it's still staying west, we departed for another loop where we started.  This time we wanted to do Vegetarian to the intermediate Down Uppity.  Just as we rode onto Down Uppity the wind picked up, the temperature dropped about ten degrees and the rain started.  Still, it was a marvelously fun ride, exactly what you would expect on a trail called Down Uppity.  There were lots of swoopy rollers and flowing turns with some punchy sections thrown in just to make sure your legs were still working.  We made it back to the car, threw the gear in and called it a day.

After a shower at the cottage, we decided to check out Grand Junction for dinner.  Our first stop was Kannah Creek Brewing for a beer.  There, we met some very friendly bar patrons and quite possibly the most talkative guy in all of Grand Junction.  Our brains now full of all knowledge Grand Junction, courtesy of The Most Talkative Guy in All of Grand Junction, we went downtown to see what was to see.  Grand Junction has a nice walkable Main Street area with lots of places to spend money on things you probably don't need.  Unfortunately (or fortunately), it was just after 5:00 and most of the shops were closed or closing.  We did check out Summit Canyon Mountaineering, which was a nicely appointed outdoor gear shop.  It seemed to have everything you might need for an outdoor adventure.  Dinner was my choice, Nepal Restaurant, also on Main Street.  Beside having lots of veggie-friendly options, the food was excellent.  The rain had followed us on and off from Fruita so without much else to do in downtown Grand Junction, we returned to the cottage.

We took another look through our ride options for Tuesday.  I believe we have settled on the Kokopelli trails near Loma.  More on that later!

Destination Moab, Part Un

<So you like how I threw in that second major in French that I haven't used in like, fifteen years plus?  Right.  #moneywellspent #lifedecisions.>  Anyways.  Sunday started way too early with a 6:30 a.m. flight from CLE to Denver. 

Right now the suggested arrival time to Cleveland Hopkins is at least two hours prior to your departure time due to airport construction.  I would recommend every minute of that.  We made it through the Southwest line to check our bags fairly quickly.  And then came to a sudden stop in the security line...which I think is the only line at the moment.  It took us forever to get through there.  And the line was way longer behind us.  The people after us had to be in line for two hours.  After that our travel was rather uneventful.  Once in Denver, JMac surprisingly upgraded our rental ride to make sure we had room for the bikes we would be renting.  Or maybe it was so I didn't lose my sh*t when the rental car stalled out going up the first mountain out of town.  (Yes, that happened).  We then headed for downtown Denver.  Our first destination was the REI store where we could pick up a few things such as fuel and a new water bag for the backpacking leg of our trip.  But since it was now freakishly early in Denver time, we had some time to kill before the REI opened.  We stopped at a grocery store and stocked up on some food goods for the next week.  Food in hand, REI was open and we proceeded there.  Thankfully for my wallet, REI didn't have any major sales going on so we were able to stick with our shopping list and keep the frivolous purchases to a minimum. 

Go west, young man.  And so we did.  Almost immediately after navigating our way out of downtown Denver, I fell asleep.  No, Silly, JMac was driving.  I awoke to the crazy loud sound of sleet, ice and rain crashing down on our SUV and hitting the side walls as cars drove past.  Apparently we were going over Loveland Pass (almost 12k' elevation) just in time for a storm.  I closed my eyes and fell back asleep.  When I next awoke we were a good ways past there in central CO.  Gone were the green Rockies.  Instead, we were in much more arid country with mesas and scrub vegetation.  Still, very pretty.  We made it to Fruita is just about exactly four hours and checked in to our AirBnB rental.  It's a small cottage on the property of a main house just a half block from "downtown" Fruita.  We'll call it "charming."  Our two night stay cost about half of what our two day MTB bike rental cost.  #priorities #score  We dropped our shizzle off and walked into town.

I didn't think downtown Fruita would be big but I do think I thought it would have a wee bit more.  After all, Fruita is a world class mountain biking destination.  But I guess it does have everything you would need in that department--at least two bike shops that I saw, two breweries and the local pizza joint.  Mountain bikers' desires fulfilled?  Check.  We stopped in at Copper Club Brewing Company first and enjoyed a fine beverage on the patio...it was now a perfect 70 degrees out...and the company of a couple of Grand Junction guys who were out on the local trails that day.  We all got a good laugh out of our non-elevation ready lungs that would be stretched in the next week.  We then made our way to Suds Bros Brewery on the other side of the block for dinner.  Dinner and beers out of the way, JMac reviewed our trail destination for Monday and I...wait for it...fell back asleep.  I don't cross time zones well.  But with a game plan in hand we were ready for ride #1 come Monday.


You Said Monster What?!?

Pisgah Monster-Cross Challenge http://www.pisgahproductions.com/events/pisgah-monster-cross-challenge/.  Yep.  Those four words scare me.  And thus brings me to another 2016 goal:  Do a race which the thought of makes me very uncomfortable.

Let's start with the basics...70 miles and 11,000' of climbing.  Did I mention I live in Northeast Ohio?  We have some climbs, probably more than someone not from the area would guess, but we lack miles and miles of long climbs and long descents.  Hm.  And I'm definitely lacking in miles and miles of gravel in my immediate area.  I can find some east or south of me but that will probably mean driving to ride--which is a timesuck.  Yep, getting more uncomfortable.  Pisgah National Forest.  I've rock climbed there.  Once.  I remember the drive in being very, very, long and slow with lots of extra gravelicious potholes that we had to dodge in order to avoid taking out a tire.  Right.  But I've got six months to get in some climbing miles and work on my gravel handling skills.  Or so I keep telling myself.  So why am I doing this?  I love gravel riding.  Some of my favorite races over the last couple of years have been gravel rides.  They're not road racing so I don't feel like an roadie poser.  They're not mountain biking and don't require as much technical finesse, which I still lack.  But there can be some technical terrain to keep it interesting.  And my cross bike, Jake the Snake, is just so much fun to ride.  Jake loves the gravel and just seems to excel as soon as it gets a bit hairy.  Yep, gravel riding is fun.  

In other exciting news, I was able to complete task #1 in Simplification 2016--I cleaned out a kitchen cupboard badly in need of cleaning.  I even gave a few things away.  Whew.  This month's task is to weed out unused cookbooks.  Spoiler Alert:  I already completed this one too!  Turns out it took less than ten minutes and I probably should have done it a long time ago.  The result in both cases is that I can now open those cupboards without fear of something falling out and hitting me on the head.  Yay, me!

Finally, I wanted to share a great recipe that I found.  http://peasandcrayons.com/2012/08/madras-lentils.html   It's super easy to prep and even easier to double.  Serve over rice or quinoa and feast for many meals.  JMac approved!


New Year, New Thoughts

Welcome to 2016.  In late February.  So I'm a little behind.  But that doesn't mean I haven't been thinking about this year. I'm currently participating in a mentorship program at my work and as part of that program, recently had to complete a self-assessment.  Not surprisingly, one of the outcomes of my assessment was that I am strongly goal-oriented.  And I am.  Call them goals or resolutions, they help keep me on track and keep me moving towards what I hope, is being a better person.

So as I would be inclined to do, last month I sat down and made a list of my 2016 goals.  These include:
*Simplify.
*Improve my mountain bike skills to prepare for longer distance racing.
*Do a race that the thought of makes me very uncomfortable.
*Continue my evolution with a plant-based diet and give up dairy and eggs.
*Post here once a month.

Simplify.  So there are several ways I'm attacking this one.  I'm going to make it a monthly goal to clean something out and thereby simplify my not so worldly possessions.  This month it's the travel coffee mug/bottle/Sound probiotic cupboard.  
Yee-wow.  (And speaking of which, have you checked out Sound yet?  If not, you should...http://www.soundprobiotics.com/ ). 

I have given up both the pool and gym memberships in an effort to simplify my extracurricular activities.  I have become very spoiled in terms of being able to train from home...I can run and ride out my front door.  And JMac and I invested in a small home gym this past Christmas as our gift to each other.  So rather than having to pack up and drive somewhere to train, I'm just staying home.  It also gives JMac and I more time to see each other and spend some bonus time with the pets.  
  (Mack looking very satisfied with himself after his one plyo box jump).

I'm also trying to streamline my cooking routine by switching to a major cooking session every other week.  I have already shared my penchant for cooking for the week on the weekend and freezing meals so that we always have awesome lunches and dinners at our fingertips.  Well, I got the idea from Kelli at Apex Nutrition to evolve this schedule into every other week.  Right now I coincide my cooking with my Fresh Fork weeks.  But I basically cook double batches of 5-6 meals and freeze what can't be ate in the very near future.  We then pull out meals on a rotating basis over the course of two weeks.  Each meal works out to be enough for one dinner and one lunch for each of us so over the course of a two week period, we're eating the same thing four times.  It's working out pretty well.  (I had the chance to work with Kelli last fall and what a great, eye-opening experience.  I'm sure I'll talk more about that in a future post.  But in the meantime, here is a podcast where she outlines the two-week cooking schedule, among other great ideas http://mountainbikeradio.com/apex-nutrition-podcast/nutrition-hacks/) .

I'll expound on the other goals in the coming months.  In the meantime, I'll leave you with a link to one of my new, most favorite recipes, PF Chang's Inspired Lettuce Wraps http://www.apexnutritionllc.com/fuelrightblog/2013/02/19/tuesdays-healthy-fuel-recipe-light-at-night-with-delicious-asian-lettuce-wraps-pf-chang-knock-off/ .  A couple of weeks ago, I made a double batch of them with tofu and froze half, which worked out super well.  My only word of caution is to make sure you're using a quality hoisin sauce with good ingredients.  If you have the motivation/time, you can make your own http://www.food.com/recipe/homemade-hoisin-sauce-312992.  Thanks for reading!

Get Trashed At Xterra Whitewater

Trashed:  When things go bad and the paddler gets tossed around like a rag doll and spit out by the river.  Not usually life threatening, but not very pleasant.  Source:  watergirlsatplay.com

Long overdue race report from Xterra Whitewater...

Pre Race:

With a family vacation in South Carolina scheduled for the second half of July and racing opportunities being a bit thin during the beginning of the month due to the July 4th holiday, it seemed like the off-road triathlon, Xterra Whitewater, near Charlotte, NC on July 18th would be a great opportunity to get a race in en route to seven days at the beach.  It was held at the U.S. National Whitewater Center, which offers “700 acres on the Catawba River for guests to enjoy whitewater rafting and kayaking, flat water kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, rock climbing, zip lines, ropes courses, canopy tours and 25+ miles of mountain biking trails.”  From the race’s website, this USAT triathlon promised to test my swimming, mountain biking and trail running skills in a rugged off-road environment. “Off road” = more chances to get hurt.  Great, sign me up.

Here is the official course description:  The race begins with a 1K flat water swim split between the Catawba River and our man-made channel, followed by 23K on mountain bike across all difficulty levels of the USNWC trail system, and concluding with an 8K trail run to cross the finish line.

JMac and I drove down to Charlotte on Thursday.  We spent Friday visiting some friends in the area and eventually made our way to the Whitewater Center midafternoon to check out the course and pick up my race packet.  

There is no entrance fee to ride the mountain bike trails at USNWC.  Rather, MTB guests pay a $5 parking fee, unless they have an annual parking pass.  When we arrived at the park, it was hopping.  There were lots and lots of people partaking in the many activities offered by the center.  We located some restrooms, changed into our cycling kits, purchased a bike trail map from the gift shop and got on our way. 

After comparing the race course map to the trail map, we figured out a good starting point to maximize seeing the bike course.  I have only a limited amount of experience mountain biking in North Carolina, having ridden a wee little bit at Bent Creek and Dupont.  But based on my understanding of “North Carolina single track,” I would say the MTB trails at USNWC are atypical of North Carolina.  They’re hard packed, flowy, and sandy with no significant climbs or descents.  This isn’t to say they’re easy.  But rather, they are very tight and windy with lots of sharp turns, often into a short, punchy climb or descent, with roots and loose pine needles thrown in for good measure.  For any local NE Ohio readers out there, I would say they are very comparable to the trails in Medina at Huffman and Reagan Park, but with sand.  JMac and I ended up pre-riding about seven miles of the course.  I had hoped to ride more but between frequent stops to confirm we were still on the race course and not a side trail and the insufferable heat, it was in the mid 90s, I was getting worn out.  We shut it down and took a walk around the park trying to figure out the swim and run courses.

Packet pickup was a snap.  The only disappointment was that my women’s specific race t-shirt wasn’t available due to some sort of mix up and instead I received yet another men’s t-shirt doomed to a life in the bottom of my dresser drawer.  Note to race directors:  I am not a small man!  But I digress.

Race Day:

After an early bird breakfast of instant oatmeal and fruit, courtesy of the Fairfield Inn Northlake, we left for the park.  Arriving early, I was able to nab a decent spot in transition and get set up.  The sun was out and the temperature was already rising.  I did a light run to check out the “whitewater” part of the swim, now completely flat in the manmade river.  During this time, the race organization continued to make announcements including the fact that all racers were to have a red swim cap.  Hmmm.  I had been given a white swim cap with the USNWC logo.  I checked with a Check In Person and he said I was fine with the cap I had been given.  Okey dokey.

About a half hour before go time, the race director began herding us to the swim start.  The swim portion of the race was actually in two parts with a ¼ mile trail run in the middle.  Race organizers suggested bringing an extra pair of running shoes for this portion.  So I wore an old pair of running shoes over to the swim start in the Catawba River and left them for the mini trail run between the swim legs.  With the water temperature in the 80s, this was a no wetsuit swim.  I warmed up in the very warm water while everyone gathered for the in water start.  Just before the start, the race director went through a series of race reminders.  He then announced that the racers who had been given the white swim caps (i.e. me!) were the first winners in a series of door prize giveaways.  My prize?  A coupon code for a new pair of La Sportiva shoes.  Excellent!

We lined up across the river.  Our route was down the river and around a buoy, which for some unknown reason, was placed really close to one side, back up the river past our starting point and around another buoy and then across the river in a diagonal line to swim start/finish #1.  I placed myself to the far side of the river, away from the crowds.  But when the gun went off that didn’t seem to matter.  Large men materialized out of nowhere to swim over me.  Sigh.  The first buoy caused a huge traffic jam as everyone was forced to funnel into a very narrow area to get around it and start down the other side.  But after that, traffic seemed to thin down some.  I settled into a groove and without too much excitement, I was back to the start and heading up the stairs to grab my shoes. 

While not everyone wore shoes, I would highly recommend it.  The trail surface is hard packed dirt but there were definitely rocks.  Then, once you exit the woods, you are on a gravel path.  You could stay on the grass for this part, if needed, but it was just as easy to put on the shoes.  Arriving at the manmade whitewater river, now flat water, thank goodness, I pulled my shoes off, left them at the designated shoe drop and jumped in and swam across to swim finish #2.  

One thing I had neither practiced nor considered was trying to swim coming off a run…it took me a few seconds to get my swim breathing under control.  The second swim was pretty cool as I could see the hydraulic equipment placed beneath the water which would be pumping whitewater in just a short time after the last racer exited. 

True to its word “rugged”, to exit the swim, everyone had to pull themselves up on some large rocks and then cross to the transition area.  I was only one leg in and had already swam, ran, swam and rock climbed? 

After an uneventful transition I was onto the bike.  I rode the gravel path around the manmade river and entered the single track in a group of about five to seven people.  In the past, this would have terrified me, particularly on a trail that I had only ridden once.  But with a little more experience now, I resolved to ride hard, forcing anyone who wanted around me to pass on their own accord.  And I was able to maintain my position for the most part, being passed by a few and passing a few myself.   

Unfortunately, the fast clip of the group I was in caught up with me about halfway in and my legs started to cramp.  This was also about the time I was entering unknown territory on parts of the trail I had not ridden the day before.  Goddamnit.  I came off my bike on a short but steep and rocky climb.  I got back on for a fun descent through a section of trail called Toilet Bowl but then had a typical Marsita superman-style crash coming in too hard on a turn and wiping out on some pine needles.  Lucky for me, 1. I had an audience as another racer was right behind me and got to witness the whole thing (he was nice and asked if I was ok) and 2. I yard saled some old empty gel packets out of my bento box upon impact, which took me a few extra seconds to clean up. 

With just a few miles left to go, I was feeling like a whitewater kayaker getting trashed in a foamy river and was ready to be done.  It was hot and felt even hotter to me after the incredibly mild summer we had had up north to that point.  

I had consumed almost all of my Osmo and was down to sucking drops out of my Camelbak.  Fortunately, after this the trail turned into some nice double track.  Unfortunately, it turned into some nice double track which allowed racers behind me with more energy to catch up and pass.  The trail then dropped us onto one final section of fun single track where we whizzed along under the hum of zip lines above us.  Then we were back to the gravel road and transition.

Based on how my legs were already cramping, I knew the 8 km trail run was going to be a painful slog.  I followed the gravel path back out around the whitewater river and up and down and across the gravel parking lot in the now completely blazing sun.  Ugh.  Shortly after entering the woods, I began a walk/run routine, walking anything remotely looking like an uphill and jogging the flats and downhills.  Despite my misery, I have to say the run course was a very fair offroad run.  It had some short climbs and descents but mostly meandered through the woods.  I wasn’t the only one suffering in the heat, though, coming across several runners who were in worst shape than I.  I muscled out the miles and turned for the finish line.  Even the run to the finish was incredibly painful in the blistering sun.  

Poor JMac got to witness almost the whole thing, taking pictures and being the faithful supporter on course.  Local brewery Noda Brewing was at the finish and gave every entrant a tasty beer as they crossed the line.   Although it was tasty, my stomach wasn’t ready for it and JMac got to enjoy my beer for his efforts.

Conclusion:

Despite my rather lackluster performance, this was a great race and I would happily recommend it.  It was very well-organized.  The course was very clearly marked and very fair.  While some of the mountain bike trails are labeled difficult, I think they would probably be considered medium difficult in other areas.  There are no significant rock gardens or other difficult obstacles on the bike course.  The post race food was a pleasant surprise of veggie quinoa wraps and fruit.  And don’t forget about that beer!  For the fast among you, there were actual prizes for the top finishers…I believe Suunto Ambit sport watches were given out.  Not too shabby.  Finally, there are a ton of activities going on at the center so the family can do something besides watch you race, not that they would ever want to do that.

For me personally, this race served as a reminder to be weather strategic in my race selection criteria.  While one can never guarantee the weather, I don’t race well in the heat and need to plan accordingly as best as I can.  Also, I’m happy that I didn’t willy nilly concede my place to anyone on the bike.  I have a habit of asking people if they want to pass me on single track and this invariably leads to no good.  Finally, this was my first non-wetsuit swim in a long time and although the water was completely flat, it was a nice reminder that I can swim in open water without one. 

Special thanks to my local bike and run shops and team supporters Bike Authority and Fleet Feet Sports.  I also have to give a special shout out to Sound Probiotics for helping to keep me healthy—90% of your immune system is in your gut!  And finally, thanks to JMac for his support and all the great pictures from the course.  Until next time, work hard, play harder.

 

Let's Talk Dirty - Mohican 100k MTB Race Report

WARNING:  Long race report ahead!

After spending the second half of 2014 sidelined with knee distress, I was looking for a new challenge for 2015.  Something I hadn’t done before.  Something that would push my boundaries.  Something that I could prepare for while spending time with hubby JMac.  I settled on the Mohican 100k mountain bike race as that something.  I even managed to convince JMac to race it, not just train with me. 

From the race’s website:  Cris-cross four counties along a single loop, climb more than 11,000 feet, and go toe to toe with the top pros on this legendary ultra-endurance loop in Northeastern Ohio. The Mohican 100 features both a 100 mile and a 100 kilometer option with five fully stocked aid stations plus self-serve water stops.

Fortunately for me, the 100k version only has about 8,500 feet of elevation gain.  Wait, 8,500 feet of elevation gain?  This is Ohio, right?  Well, just like Race Director Ryan O’Dell says, the elevation profile for the course looks like an EKG.  You get your 8,500 feet in 350’ increments, which makes for a lot of pitchy, pumpy climbing.  To get ready, as soon as the weather broke for the spring season and the trails dried out, JMac and I began making almost weekly pilgrimages to Loudonville, riding the state park single track and surrounding back roads.  We found a great loop of the back country roads that largely approximated the gravel road sections we would see on race day.  (Check out the map here http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2278764).  We also did a weekend climbing camp with my coach, PG, and training crew in the hills of Central Pennsylvania in April.  For race prep we opted to head back up to Michigan’s Barry Roubaix to see our JTree peeps and drink beer.  Wait, I mean, race the 36 mile course at Barry Roubaix.  We decided to skip the OMBC mountain bike race at Mohican in April, instead racing the 50k Amish Country Roubaix that same weekend.  My thought behind this was that I could ride Mohican for free and AC would provide more options for challenging climbing and descending.  While this was certainly the case, I think now that putting an additional actual mountain bike race on the calendar pre-Mohican 100k would have been a good idea.

But rolling into race week I was feeling tapered, rested and ready to go.  JMac and I drove down to Loudonville Friday afternoon, checked in at our tent campsite at Mohican Adventures and then went over to pick up our race bags.  We set up camp, made dinner and just relaxed, enjoying a quiet evening and the opportunity to just sit for a change.  We did go back over to packet pick up for the pre-race Q&A.  There weren’t many people there but I was glad we went.  In addition to learning that several large snakes (supposedly harmless, if there is such a thing) had been spotted on the course that week, I learned exactly where the hike-a-bike sections were.  I had heard the hike-a-bike sections were tough but didn’t really appreciate that sentiment until I heard the almost pleading tone of a race veteran asking if any of them had been removed for this year’s course.  The answer?  No, followed by some uncomfortable chuckling.  Ok, then, beware of the hike-a-bike sections.  JMac and I returned to camp, prepped our food and bikes for the next day and turned in early.

We were up early for a quick breakfast of coffee and overnight oats (prepped at home the day before).  Bikes, nutrition and hydration packs ready, we rolled over to start in downtown Loudonville just a quick ride from Mohican Adventures.  I didn’t check race morning but the forecast the day before was predicting (I kid you not) 91% humidity.  

I’m guessing it was up there.  We lined up about halfway (?) back in the group and waited for the start.  

(We're somewhere in there.  Photo cred:  Butch Phillips).

After a few quick announcements we were off.  

 (Photo cred:  Butch Phillips)

The race starts with a punchy climb out of town followed by a couple of more miles of rolling roads to spread the group out before entering the double track and state park single track.  

(Photo cred:  Tim Cristy)

A prime is offered for the first rider to reach the city limits.  To say the least, I wasn’t going for that contest.  Instead, I sat back and let things sort themselves out.  My concern was going out too hard and then being too burned out later in the race.  Well, as has happened in just about every bike race I have done, I sat back too much and got behind a massive slow moving mass going into the single track.  Bah. 

We rolled through the single track to A1 pretty uneventfully.  The trail was wetter than I had expected and I was a little off my lines with race jitters, but nothing too terrible.  

 (There I am.  No, wait, that's legendary pro Tinker Juarez.  But I'm sure I look just as smooth.  Photo cred:  Tim Cristy)

Upon arriving to A1 I could not believe the massive number of racers who appeared to be there, just hanging out.  I dropped my bike, walked over to a volunteer who offered to refill my hydration pack, grabbed a few pieces of fruit, downed a kiddy applesauce (just like the PowerBar pureed fruit packet but 50% of the cost), refilled my bento box with an Amrita bar from my pack and took off, hoping to leave the mass of riders I had been following behind.  I was excited to be on my favorite section of trail.  There was a chatty guy following me, singing and talking about Grassman for some reason.  I must have actually been listening to him because after a few miles I realized all of the food from my bento box had fallen out somewhere after A1.  D’oh.  At that point I was following a girl who I knew had gone sub 8 hours (my goal) in 2014 and so I opted to stay with her and grab my emergency food out of my pack when I got to the top of the first hike-a-bike section.  I continued trading places with a few folks until I saw the volunteer pointing me towards the section of trail connecting the single track and gravel roads.  I turned left, came to a dead stop and looked up.  Straight up.  Seriously?  I’ve climbed routes that steep in the mountains with a rope on.  I pushed/slid me and my bike up the “trail” to the top, took a breath, refilled my bento box and hopped back on my bike.  This lasted a few minutes until I began the nasty water board descent to Rt 97.  It was then on to some horse poop double track, another hike-a-bike and eventually up to the gravel roads.  Since JMac and I had ridden this section in training, I was back on familiar ground.  Unfortunately, it was also around this time that I ran out of water…I had noticed the volunteer only filled my hydration bag about 2/3 of the way full at A1 but didn’t think it would be a big deal.  Well, it was hot and humid and I *apparently* was drinking a lot.  So, no water until A2.  Just keep going.  I pedaled away from the group I had been riding with and rolled up and down and into A2. 

 A lovely little girl came running up to me with my drop bag just as I was stopping my bike.  Sweet!  Same as A1, I grabbed some fruit and refilled my bento box from my drop bag while a volunteer refilled my water.  She apologized for getting her fingers inside my hydration pack as she tried to hold it.  I let her know that I was pretty sure I had just splashed horse sh*t up my legs riding through some muck a while back so I really wasn’t concerned about her fingers.  Feeling re-energized, I left A2 for more gravel.  The next section had some good climbs and good descents.  The sun was shining and although I could feel the day catching up to me in my legs, I enjoyed the ride.  I just wanted to get to Mohican Wilderness and get that section of single track out of the way.  It was the only significant part of the course I hadn’t seen and that made me nervous.  I had been told it was “old school” i.e. more technical and rocky and less flowy, definitely not my strong suit. 

I climbed Big Hill Road (yes, that’s really its name) and turned into the woods at Mohican Wilderness.  Let’s get this b*tch over with.  It started out ok but then rapidly degenerated into rain forest-y, overgrown, twisty, rocky ickiness.  I laughed to myself, knowing that JMac would have laughed to himself coming through this, knowing how high the Marsita Unhappiness Level would be and being grateful he wasn’t there to experience it.  I wanted to be done—done with the single track.  The only thing that made me feel better was that the guys I came across were struggling worse than I, offering to let me by without me asking. 

“You can go.”

“No, seriously, I’m going to be off my bike in another minute.  So you can go.”

“No, seriously, you can go.” 

I had more than one conversation like that.  Then it was up two more awful hike-a-bikes, a small crash over some rocks, some more on and off my bike until I finally came out of the woods and descended back to the gravel road and A3.  Whew.  Glad that was over.  Handled A3 just like A2 and was in and out in a flash.  
(Managed to pass on all the goodies and stick with my nutrition plan.  Photo cred:  Tim Cristy).  

Rolled back onto the gravel and turned surprising quickly onto Valley Stream Road for the punchy Valley Stream climb.  DJ had warned JMac and me about it on a December training ride and I’m glad he did.  It hits you in the face, late in the race.  My quads had been cramping on and off for a while at this point but having ridden it two times prior in training, I resolved to ride it again, despite seeing quite a number of racers walking their bikes up the sides.  Up, turn, up some more and over.  Done.  I cruised downhill and over to some double track and a lovely piece of private property.  The view of the surrounding area was spectacular.  The sun was still shining and the sky was a stunning blue against rolling green fields.  I took a brief mental pause, grateful for the opportunity to be riding my bike, despite my fatigue.  The course then descended some loose, rocky double track to a refreshing stream crossing.  This was immediately followed by a less than refreshing ride through a huge pit of hot muck.  With a sense of irony I realized that I had at one point in my life paid for a very similar hot mud spa treatment, minus the bike, of course.  (JMac post race.  Did he really race?  He's not even dirty).

It was now down some rolling roads to A5 (no Aid 4 for the 100k riders) and the final miles of single track.  With less than six miles to go, I opted for just a quick partial refill of water and a couple of pieces of fruit from the ever helpful volunteers.  I also cracked open a new pack of Honey Stinger chews.  During our last big training ride two weeks earlier (two loops of the state park single track), I had a bit of a temper tantrum during the next section.  We had started at mile 4 so that we would be finishing our long ride on largely the same section we would finish on race day.  That ride didn’t end well as I was hot and “hangry” from an already heavy week of training.  Honey Stinger would help save me from a repeat performance of this.  After negotiating with a couple of guys who rolled through A5 the same time as I (you can go, no, you can go…) I started up what is typically the last mile of the single track.  My legs were tired.  I was on my bike for the downhill sections and off my bike for the up.  Topping out on the cut-off trail, I pedaled with the finish in mind.  This final section was actually quite enjoyable as I passed a few more people, only slowing to allow the #2 100 MILE singlespeed dude to pass me.  It was back into the campground, up and then down some switchbacks to the bridge.  After almost sliding out on the gravel, I crossed the campground and turned onto the road for the finish.  I crossed the line in 8:16:30, missing my sub eight hour goal time but still finishing 14th female.  Considering this was the first time I have done a race of this distance, I’m not too upset.  I know there are some easy fixes I can make to improve for next year.  JMac was waiting for me at the finish.  He had finished almost an hour ahead of me and was in good spirits.  

We dropped my bike and found our way over to the beer trailer to fill our race pint glasses with one of my most favorite beers, Great Lakes Rye of the Tiger.  Yum.  We chatted with some friends before heading back to camp to shower, pack up and return for post-race grub. 

A few closing notes…

*Overall, this race was great.  Initially after finishing, I wondered why anyone would do this more than once.  But rather quickly I realized it’s a quality race.  Check in was a breeze.  The race course was very well marked.  It’s one big loop.  And, the volunteers were awesome!  At both A2 and A3, I had my drop bag before I was even off my bike.  Everyone was very friendly and helpful.  The post-race food was great.  (Check out http://www.portacook.com/, they are great to work with).  I am very appreciative of there being a vegetarian option that did not involve pasta.  And there was a trailer flowing of Great Lakes beer to boot.  Not a bad way to end the day.

*Mohican Adventures (http://www.mohicanadventures.com/ ) is also great.  This was my fifth (?) time staying there, having come down in prior years for spring triathlon training camp.  From making my reservation to checking in, the staff is well-organized and friendly.  Our tent site was nicely wooded with a picnic table and fire ring.  And the bathrooms are excellent camp facilities and have always been clean.

*Nutrition/hydration:  Mostly Amrita bars (https://amritahealthfoods.com/), peanut butter chocolate chip GoMacro bars, dates, applesauce and oranges/watermelon from the aid stations.  OSMO hydration for women.  I was 100% happy with this menu of goods.

*If you haven’t done so already, check out http://quickdirt.com/.  While I have yet to meet James in person, he offers a lot of good Mohican 100 race and course information on his popular mountain bike racing blog.

*My personal thanks:  Number one thanks goes to JMac for his support, good humor and patience for the crazy journeys I embark our little family on.  Also, a big shout out to my coach, PG, and veteran Mohican training peeps:  DC, DJ and SM…thanks for the training rides and words of wisdom.  Becky at Waypoint Sales:  Thank you for the steady supply of performance-enhancing, shin-protecting knee-hi SmartWool socks.  Team JTree:   I went through an inordinate amount of JTree cycling salve (http://www.jtreelife.com/) getting ready for this thing.  Maybe next year I can recruit a couple of you to come down for this?  I’ll be looking forward to it.

Check out the race highlights, courtesy of Dirtwire.TV  http://dirtwire.tv/2015/06/mohican-100-2015-nue-series-3-the-mini-movie/ .  

Yay! Fall!

Wow!  Although the weather this week has felt like the end of summer, fall is definitely here.  Where has the time gone?  Well, there is lots to discuss...new recipes, racing, a little trip to Iceland and a not quite torn meniscus.  Yep, the summer was a busy one.  But before I get into all of that, I thought I would pass along a couple of new recipes that I am loving right now. 

First up is Leslie Klenke's  Better than Oatmeal.  Leslie is the author of the book, Paleo Girl, featured on Mark's Daily Apple.  Finding this Better than Oatmeal recipe has gone a long way to curbing the craving for breakfast comfort food.  Here is the link:  http://www.marksdailyapple.com/paleo-girl-book/#axzz3GEQLbvz5  

Ok, yes, Better than Oatmeal does involve cooking eggs and bananas together.  I know it sounds weird.  But it really is good.  It has even been given the JM Stamp of Approval.  This recipe also travels well.  I simply make up a batch and add a little almond milk on top at the end.  When I get to work I reheat the "oatmeal" in the microwave for a quick thirty seconds.  Voila! Breakfast is served. 

The second recipe I have is courtesy of Nom Nom Paleo.  I made this last week to use up some of the fall produce spilling out of my fridge, the bounty of both Fresh Fork Market (they're taking winter sign ups http://freshforkmarket.com/extra-view/sign-up-or-sign-in/) and Old MacDonald's late producing farm.  Here is the recipe:  http://nomnompaleo.com/post/97731264703/paleo-by-seasons-atkilt-spiced-ethiopian-vegetable  This is so good.  Don't be afraid of the cinnamon/turmeric combo.  This recipe is not spicy at all.  Rather, it is super warm in a wonderful, autumn-y sort of way.  Plus, both cinnamon and turmeric are widely considered to have all sorts of happy health benefits.  Google it if you don't believe me.   

One thing I wanted to point out with this second recipe is a practice I have been working on the last couple of years.  It is the Art of Not Buying A Whole Bunch of Random Produce When Cooking.  So.  For example, this recipe calls for carrots.  I was plum fresh out of carrots last week.  But I did have two entire vegetable drawers plus a basket on the counter of assorted other vegetables.  So, instead of picking up carrots at the grocery, I thought to myself, hmmm, what is a carrot like?  It's orange.  It's a root vegetable.  It's sweet.  Do I have any other  orange, root-like and/or sweet vegetables laying around?  Why, yes, I did.  I had a small sweet potato so I peeled and chopped that.  It wasn't quite the amount required so I threw in a yellow zucchini.  Eh, zucchini pretty much goes with anything.  And those two substitutions worked out fabulously.  I also could have probably used a squash like acorn or butternut.  So the moral of the story is use your imagination and think about what you might have on hand before buying something you may not need.   

Last but not least, it's apple season!  Particularly for my Northeast Ohio and Midwest Peeps, run, run, run to your local orchard and get those apples while the getting is good.  My favorite orchard is Rittman Orchards in Norton, Ohio.  http://www.rittmanorchards.com/   It's a bit of a drive but well worth it for their heirloom varieties.  JM and I are currently making our way through our second peck of apples.  Besides snacking on them, I am a big fan of making applesauce.  Using in season apples completely negates the need for any sugar.  Normally, I cook the apples down and then process them in the food processor but according to the Vitamix Powers That Be, I can simply core and chunk the raw apples, add a little water and let the Vitamix wonder machine do it's thing.  That is going to be this weekend's project.  I will let you know how it goes.  But any which way you make it, applesauce freezes wonderfully.  I like to store it in the pint size containers by Arrow 

.   

Hope you are enjoying the wonders of the season.  Take a walk.  Marvel at the fall colors.  And Eat Real Food.  The possibilities just may be endless this time of year.